Earth scraper



' Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

FFICE.

GEORGE L. WILCOX, 0F ESCALON, CALIFORNIA.

EARTH scnarnn.

Application filed February 18, 1921. Serial No. 446,104.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that Gnonon L. WILCOX, citizen of the United States, residing at Escalon, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Earth Scrapers, of which the following is a specification.

DLV invention relates to improvements in earth scrapers wherein earth is to be removed and deposited elsewhere in a prescribed manner. The object of provide a scraper my invention is; first, to that can be used with and operated from the tractor seat by the driver thereof in leveling land and making levels for irrigation; second, to afford a means of releasing the entire load at once or of spreading same over the surface of the ground, at the will of the operator; third, to provide an adjustable cutting blade; fourth. to reduce to a minimum the exertion necessary on the part of the operator, by providing an end-gate separate from the main frame and side walls, counter-balanced on a rocker frame; fifth, to provide means for holding the end-gate in place by two arms and catches and providing a device for their simultaneous release; sixth, to provide a single counter-balance so placed as to perform two separate functions.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, with the nearest wheel and side wall of the scraper removed.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a catch member and its actuating means.

Fig. 4 is a front fragmentary view of the catch-actuating and dumping lever mechanism. 1

Fig. 5 is a cross section 55 of Fig. 4:.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, provide a frame consisting of longitudinal side rails, 1, a transverse cross beam 2, raised somewhat above the plane of said rails, and a forward portion 3, the latter being an extension of the side rails 1 but closer together. This frame is carried on taken on the line rear wheels 4 and a forward caster wheel 5.

convexly curved pads 2 on the beam 2 is a 17 screwed lateral and longitudinal movement thereon, but permitted fore and aft tilting by reason of pins 6 fixed in the blocks 2* andprojecting up through tapered slots 6 in the frame 6, as shown in Fig. 1.

Hinged to the rear end' of the rocker frame 6 is an end gate 7, this frame and end gate being raised and lowered for spreading and loading by suitable means, such as through the medium of a link 8 pivoted to the front end of the rocker frame and connected toa lever 9 pivoted on the frame portion 3 and provided with a usual form of pawl and quadrant structure 9 Arms 10 extend from adjacent the lower end and sides of the gate 7 upwardly and forwardly of the same. They are flexibly connected to said gate, and to the scraping blade 12 below said gate, by means of adjustable brackets 11, which converge to common pivotal connections with said arms.

The end gate is concave in form and so constructed and hinged that practically its entire weight is to the rear of a vertical line through its hinge pivot. It isreinforced with angle irons 13, which serve as the hinges and which extend down to an addiand passing therethrough. Angular adjustment of the blade with respect to the end gate is effected by means of adjustable bolts into and through the flanges 14 and which bear against the flanges 15.

The length of the corresponding brackets 11 may be adjusted to suit by reason of the adjusting nuts 11 thereon on both sides of the blade 12.

Further adjustment of the end gate and blade, to meetextreme conditions, may be had by changing the point 'of connection of the brackets 11 with the arms 10 to any one of several holes 10 in the latter.

Fixed to and projecting upwardly and normally to the rear an arm 18, connected by a rod 19 to a similarly disposed arm 20 fixed on a shaft 21, journaled on the'forward end of the rocker frame 6.

Fixed. .zoato the strait .211 and prair z .its

above and normally to the rearof the same are counterweights 22.

Pivoted to the arm 20 and extending forward thereof is a link bar 23, pivoted at its forward end to an arm 24 which is journ-aled to the frame 3 below this point, on a shaft 24!. The upper end of this arm is pivoted to a lever 25, which extends abovement between said arm and lever in the direction of their throw.

Pivoted onto the lower end of the lever 25 is a. rearwardly extending shifting rod 27 having longitudinal-1y disposed and spaced pawls 27* either one of which at a time is adapted to engage a lug 28 projecting upwardly from av shaft 29 transversely journaled' on the frame members 3, the outer ends of this shaft having inverted V shaped catch portions 30 formed therewith, adapted to seat in notches 81 cut in the under face of the arms 10 when the end gate is closed, or in similarly formed but oppositely disposed notches 32 in said arms when the end gate is. opened up to the rear and the arms 10 moved likewise.

These notches and catch portions are formedv and arranged with respect to each other and to the axis of turning of the shaft 29'so that when any pulling or pushing pressure is on the shaft, there will be no tendency for the shaft to rotate automatically so as to cause undesired release of the catches from the notches.

Side walls 33 are provided for the scraper, these being fixed onto the side rails 1, and extending to the rear of the normal plane of the end gate, being provided with rearwardly disposed guides 34" so as to insure the entrance of the end gate into proper place when closing.

The operation of the device is as follows i For scraping and spreading, the end gate and blade members are set as shown in l ig. 1, the notches 31 on the arms or bars 10 then. being engaged by the catches, 30. Spreading, as hereinbefore stated. is effected by movement of the lever 9, which as will be seen, causes the rocker frame to tilt, raising the end gate in a sulj stantially vertical plane, thearms .10 moving about the catches 30 as an axis and serving to prevent the end gate from opening up to the rear as long as the catches are engaged.

Dumping actionyof thescraper may be had'irrespeotive of the position of the lever 9 and rocker frame by the following operation, the purpose of which is to quickly and easily raise or open the end gate to the rear, so that the load will be discharged in a compact mass.

Presuming that the parts are positioned as shown in the drawings, the lever 25 is pulled towardthe front end of the scraper. The first result of this movement is to cause said lever to turn about the connection of the arm 24- therewith as an axis, while the member 27 at the lower end of the lever moves to the rear, rotating the shaft 29 and reversing the position of the catches 30 so that the arm-notches 31 are readily and automatically disengaged therefrom when any rearward pull comes on the arms 10, such as is of course present when the forward movement of the lever 25 is continued.

By the time this is done the forward end of the slotted member 26 will have engaged the adjacent edge of the arm 24. 1th any further pulling movement on the lever 25 therefore the lever andarm, and the member 27, moves forward as the unit causes the arm 18 to be moved and thus openlng the end gate. At the same time the freed arms 10 move to the rear until the notches 32 are engaged by the catches 30, these having? shaft 29 was rotated in a counter clockwise 1 direction, the position of the lug 28 was of course reversed, and is now in position to be engaged by the rearmost lug 27 on the member 27 and the shaft 29 rotated in the opposite direction to restore it to normal position when the movement of the lever is reversed to return and close the end gate after dumping.

New with the forward movement of the arm 18, the counterweights likewise moved for ard, and their functioning or action is reversed from that normally bad. When the parts are in sprerulingor loading position, as shown Fig. 1, these weights are set above and to the rear of their pivots, thus exerting a rearward push on the link 19, which tends to hold the end gate from o 'iening to the rear, and also takes some of the strain off the arm 10.

In addition to this function however, the

main action of thesecounterweights when relation to that of the end gate, so that a very smooth and easy dumping action is had.

I am aware that earth scrapers, having a main frame carried on wheels, capable of being operated from a tractor seat are now in use. I therefore do not claim such combination broadly but I claim; 1. In an earth scraper, an end gate hinged along its upper edge and mechanical means mounted in connection with the gate and acting thereon for raising or lowering the same in a substantially" vertical plane and for independently opening said end gate to the rear.

2. In an earth scraper, an end gate normally vertical and hinged at its upper edge and adapted to move upwardly tothe-rear about its hinged connection as an axis, and counterweight mea-ns operatively connected with the end gate and soarranged as to maintain a constant ratio of effectiveness with respect to the end gate as the latter is raised to'the rear and to exert a reversed action as the end gate approaches its closed position.

3. In an earth scraper, an end gate, a separate cutting blade below the same,

transverseandsubstaritially parallel plates attached along the adjacent edges of the end gate and blade, bolts passing freely through said plates, the heads thereof bearing against the opposed faces of the plates, and adjusting bolts screwed through one of said plates and bearingagainstthe other.

4. In an earth scraper, a main frame, a rocker frame mounted thereon, an end gate hinged to said rocker frame, means for tilting said rocker frame whereby the end gate will be raised vertically, and independent means for swinging the end gate upwardly to the rear about its hinged connection as an axis. J I i 5. In an earth scraper, ahmged end gate adapted to be opened upwardly to the rear,

locking means for holding the end gate in its open or closed positions, and commonly actuated means for first releasing the locking means and subsequentlymoving the end gate to openv or closegthe same.

6. In an earth scraper, a hinged end gate adapted to be opened upwardly to the rear, lock ag means fer hcldmg the and gate in its open or closed positions, means for releasing the lockln'g means and for then movlng the end gate to an open or closed posi- 7. In an earth scraper, a hinged end gate adaptedto bemoved to assume different positions, arms flexibly connected to said gate, and having notches provided on the under side thereof, catch members adapted to automatically engage either set at a time of the notches, and lever means for releasing said catches and for then moving the end gate to a new position.

8. In an earth scraper, a hinged end gate adapted to be moved to assume different positions, arms flexibly connected to said gate, and having notches provided on the under side thereof, catch members adapted to automatically engage either set at a time of the notches, lever means for releasing said catches, lever means for moving the end gate, and connecting means between said le- I ver means whereby after the catch lever means is actuated the gate-moving lever means will be brought into action.

9. In an earth scraper,a hinged end gate adapted to be moved to assume different positions, arms flexibly connected to said gate, and having notches provided 'on the under side thereof, catch members adapted to automatically engage either set at a time of the notches, lever means for releasing said catches, lever means for moving the end gate connected to the first named lever means, and means whereby with a continuous move- ,ment of said first named lever means the latches are first disengaged and the end gate then moved.

10. In an earth scraper, an end gate hinged at its upper edge and normally hung vertically but adapted to be swung upwardly to the rear, and counterweight means operatively connected to the end gate acting to balance the weight of the end gate when the latter is in the vertical position; and to exert a counterbalancing effect in direct ratio to the increasing resistance ofthe end gate as the latter is opened to the rear.

11. In an earth scraper, a frame, an end gate hinged at its upper edge thereto and normally hung vertically but adapted to be swung upwardly to the rear, counterweight means pivoted transversely on the frame and tilting to the rear of a vertical plane when the end gate is in its vertical position, connecting members between the counterweight means and the end gate whereby the effect of the former is transmitted to the latter, and lever means connected to the con- 12. In an earth scraper, a hingedend gate adapted to be moved to assume different positions, arms flexibly connected to said gate, and having notches provided on the under 1 side thereof, catch members adapted to automatically engage either at a time. of the notches, a transverse turnable, shaft on which said catches are mounted, lever means for turning said shaft sufficiently to disengage the catches, separate lever means operatively connected to the end gate to move the same, and means between the two said lever means whereby after theformer has been moved to release the catches the other lever means will then be actuated to move the end gate with av continuation of the movement of the catch-releasing lever means.

13. In an earth scraper, a hinged end gate adapted to be moved to assume different positions, arms flexibly connected to, said gate, and having notches provided on the under side thereof, catch members adapted to automatically engage either set at a time of the notches, a transverse turnable shaft on which said catches are mounted, levermeans for turning said shaft sufficiently to, disengage the catches, separate lever means operatively connected to the endgate to move the same, the upper end of said last named tomatically engage either at av time off the notches, a transverse turnable shaft on which said catches are mounted, a lug projecting v radially from the shaft, a double and spaced rigid pawl member disposed to coact with the lug, a lever to which the pawl member is connected, another lever operatively connected.

to the end gate to move the same pivoted at its upper end to the pawl-lever, and a slottedmember on the latter through which the end-gate lever passes.

15. In an earth scraper, a hinged end gate adapted to be moved to assume different po, sitions, arms flexibly connected to said gate and having spaced and opposed. notches on its under side. a transverse shaft ext-ending under the arms, and cam-like catch members formed with said shaft and adapted to engage said notches, said catches being so disposed with respect to the shaft that the levernotches engage the same below the axis. of the shaft whereby a rearward pull on the arms will not allow the shaft to turn and disengage the catches.

adapted to be moved to assume different po sitions, armsflexibly connected to said gate and having spaced and opposed notches on itsunder side, catch-f members adapted to engage either set at atime, of vthe notches,

dual and commonly operated lever means for releasing the catchesand then. moving the endgate, and..means,whereby whensaid lever meansis at the end of'its travel in either di rection the catcheswill bepositioned. to aue et cal yngag w th he corresponding notches, while theLleVer means will then .be

in a position to immediately disengage the catcheswhen saidlever i simoved-in the return direction.

18. In an earth scraper, an end gate hinged at its upper edge and adapted to be swung upwardly to the rear, and arms flexibly connected to the end gate and'ada pted to be normally locked in either position ofthe end gate to prevent movement thereof.

19. In; an earth scraper, an end gate hinged at its upper edge and adapted to be swung upwardly to the rear, means for moving the end gate, and locking means for the end gate arranged to automatically lock and after :being moved to an open or closed position.

20. In. an earth scraper, an end gate hinged at its upper edge and adapted tov be swung upwardly 'to the rear, lever means for moving the end gate, locking means for the end gate to hold it in certain positions, and means betweenthe lever and lock means whereby the latter will be released before any movement ofthe end gate can be had.

21. In an earth scraper, a main frame, a rocker frame, an end gate pivoted to the latter, means for tilting the rocker frame, arms flexibly connected. to the end gate, and catch members on the main frame releasable at will to allow 'theend: gate to swing about its hinge connection and 1 arranged toallow vertical. swinging movement of the arms as therocker frame is tilted. and the end gate raised vertically.

In testimony whereof'I afiix my signa- I V.

. en enen n. WI-LQOX.

1 prevent the sam'e from further movement 1 

